The Taking of Vanelossë - Part III

Notes and Disclaimer:

Elvish sayings:
Melethen – My love
Melethrilen - My beloved
Fëa – soul
Firion - mortal
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I am going to state the obvious here. I do not stick to canon or adhere to LACE in this story.
I do not own any of JRR Tolkien’s characters, I just borrow them. The following characters
(and the meanings of their names) are mine:

Vanelossë – beautiful, snow-white Séro- peace
Alasse – joy Illisse – all sweet
Anarion – child of sun Tauro – Wood, forest
Mehtar – Warrior Calime – bright
Veryandil - bold friend Máratyaro – good doer
Artulco – noble or strong Larin

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Thank you to my wonderful beta, SpaceWeavil. Thanks for forcing me to do what I didn't want
but needed to do. A big thank you to Wenont for her invaluable help with the fight scene.
Thanks, as always, to Space and Thuriniel, the Sindarin Goddesses. Thanks to Viv, Maram, and
my luggage for moral support and TexasGirl for pimping me. And thanks to all of my readers!
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CHAPTER 8
Punishment Delivered


“He will pay in the afterlife. No matter what you do to him or those other men, you cannot undo what he has done to me. Do not let this rage consume you because I love you the way you are. I do not want you corrupted by what has happened. If you seek vengeance, it will destroy you as well. Do not let his evil touch your fëa, Legolas,” Vanelossë said softly as tears ran down her face.

Legolas looked at her for some time before he spoke.

“You wish me to do nothing? Do you think he deserves that mercy? How much more should he have hurt you before I could justify ripping him limb from limb? Would your death have justified that? What of the deaths of the other women? You tell me when does he deserve to suffer from what he has caused,” Legolas asked confused.

“Legolas, listen to yourself. Hear what your heart is telling you. Do you want to feel like this forever? Do you want to hold Séro in your arms with this hatred boiling in your blood? Do you wish for Alasse and Illisse to learn that vengeance and hatred are acceptable as long as it is deserved? Look at the evil beings of this world. Do you not believe that they feel they have a right for vengeance against those they choose to harm? Very rarely does a being truly feel that they are doing something evil without cause or justification,” Vanelossë argued with him trying to make him understand her. “You see an orc and you kill him without any thought to what he has done. You kill him because of what he is. We have always been told the stories of the tortures that elves and men have endured in the hands of orcs. We do not let what he has done dictate what we will do. We do not let the evil in him overflow into us and torture him as he would us.”

Legolas was quiet and looked away. Vanelossë grew desperate to get through to him.

“Legolas, did your father ever tell you to capture every enemy and torture it because of what it had done? How is that any better than what they would do to us? Should we become like them if they wrong us?”

Legolas looked at her for a long time. “Melethen, no matter what my feelings are or what I want to do, I will do what you wish when it comes to this man. I would like nothing better than to torture him as he did you but since this pain was brought upon you, I will do what you ask.”

“Kill him. Without question, without thought of what he has done. Do not be brutal and do not regret not making him suffer more. Kill him as quickly as possible, as you would any enemy,” Vanelossë whispered. When she saw a flash of rage in his eyes, she said pleadingly, “I do not want you to be like he is and torture another being, no matter how low he is. You are better than he is. Do not sink to his level.”

Legolas looked away. He knew what she was asking him but he did not know if he could do it. Finally, he nodded reluctantly and she released the breath that she had been holding.

Reaching up, she turned his face to look towards her. Smiling, she said, “Now, before I fall asleep again, I want you to hold me and kiss me. I need to feel your lips and your hands on me to heal my heart.”

Legolas leaned over and gave her a passionate kiss, which she returned eagerly. Feeling her lips on his own ignited such passion in him it was difficult for him to think. She lightly sucked his tongue into her mouth and he began stroking her tongue with his own. Her kiss felt even better than he remembered. Carefully, he moved closer to her so that she was resting on his chest as he buried his hands in her hair gently as to not to touch any of her injuries. When she moaned, he pulled away thinking she was in pain but she pulled his mouth back to hers in passion. They kissed until they were both breathless. As soon as they caught their breath, they began to kiss again, each time more intense. It was like the rest of the world melted away until there was just the two of them, neither one wanting to leave the sanctity of their loving embrace.

Worried that she would tire, he reluctantly pulled away from her.

“Melethen, you need your rest. Once you are well, we will make up for the time we have lost, but now you are injured and need to be careful.”

Kissing her gently one more time, Legolas laid her head down on his chest and told her to sleep.

Content she had his promise concerning the Easterling, Vanelossë fell asleep feeling safe at last listening to the sound of his heartbeat as she had so many times.

After she fell asleep, Legolas slid out from under her, laying her gently on the blanket, and quietly got up. Asking Calime to sit with her, he walked out to where the Easterlings were sitting together in a closely guarded group.

Legolas stood motionless, staring at their leader for a long time, Vanelossë's words, as well as his promise to her, running through his head.

Seeing Gimli suddenly look towards the Easterlings and rise from where he was sitting on the ground, Aragorn and the twins looked back to see Legolas. While the three of them exchanged glances, they all wondered what Legolas would do next. The Legolas they knew was no longer in control. The vengeful husband now faced his wife’s tormenter. The men and elves of the camp all were silent as they watched the prince, each thinking what they would do if they were in his place. While the men all wished for a suitably violent end to the man, Legolas’ long time friends worried to what level of brutality that Legolas would sink.

Larin, in his arrogance, looked at him defiantly. He appraised the elf and felt nervous that he showed no emotion in his face. Larin would rather have dealt with rage for he understood that. This elf scared him with his level of control.

Finally, Legolas walked over to him took off his gag then unbound his hands. While Larin was rubbing his wrists and watching him, Legolas stepped back.

Once again, Larin was disturbed by the calmness in the elf’s face. Perhaps he had mistaken calmness for fear. If the elf felt threatened by him enough, Larin would easily beat him. He smiled at the thought that this elf, like his wife, would soon cower before him, in front of his own friends.

"I will give you one chance to fight me but I will kill you before it is over," said the elven prince coolly, glaring at the Easterling.

"You are not man enough to fight me when I am not injured."

"My wife had to fight you off while injured. It is a fair bargain, surely. Now get up," Legolas said through clenched teeth.

"What is your name, boy? I think I should know your name before I kill you, or should I just call you ‘prince’?" Larin said with an evil smile. "Your wife never told me, as it was always my name she was called out at night."

Ignoring Larin’s attempt to goad him into losing his temper, Legolas repeated his demand, “I said, stand up." Larin just smiled.

"I think you should know how much your friend enjoyed your wife’s company. He savored every moment he was thrusting into her, and enjoyed her for a long time. She opened her legs and welcomed him into her willingly and with great hunger. She has a lust I have not seen in a woman for a long time. It seems she is never satisfied and always wants more. I am sure neither will admit but they both were thankful for the opportunity to quench their lust for each other," Larin said with a sinister smirk, enjoying his taunting of the elf.

Swallowing his rage, and not giving Larin the satisfaction of upsetting him, Legolas calmly said, "I said stand up, coward."

"If I hurt you, your friends will just kill me, so why should I even bother?"

Speaking loudly enough so that his friends could hear, Legolas said, "My friends will not touch you from this point forward. This is between you and I, and it will be settled by the outcome of the next few minutes. You will not live out the night."

The crowd of men and elves gathered to watch the two of them face off. No one even dared stop what needed to happen.

"I will crush you with my bare hands, as I nearly did your wife. If I had caught him, I would have done so to your son as well. In fact, when I finally leave here, I intend to come after both of your sons and rid Middle Earth of your bloodline completely," Larin said boldly, as he stood up and walked around Legolas. "I imagine their little necks would snap easily."

Legolas remained silent and calmly walked away from the group of Easterlings into a more open area, further away from them.

Larin kept talking. "You should try beating her some time. I think she really likes a little pain. I know I enjoyed giving it to her."

The Easterling leered as he approached Legolas, waiting to make his move. The Elda stood motionless, calmly watching the man. As soon as Larin moved to strike, Legolas slammed his fist into the man's mid-section. While he was doubled over, Legolas drew him by the hair, kneeing him in the face, breaking his nose and jaw.

The elven prince allowed the Easterling to drop to the ground on all fours. Legolas stepped back slightly, watching the man, as Larin recovered and rose a bit unsteadily, spitting blood and wiping his nose on his sleeve, all the while glaring at the elf.

Larin suddenly rushed the Elda, and Legolas leaned smoothly to his left, firmly planting his right foot and catching the man’s ankle with his. The motion sent the mortal careening harmlessly past the elf. He sprawled face first upon the ground behind Legolas.

Turning slowly, Legolas kicked the man on his left side. The blow crushing bone, the sickening crunch of ribs heard clearly by those closest to the fray.

A strangled cry poured forth from the stricken man, as he doubled up in a ball at Legolas’s feet. In reality, Legolas could easily have killed the bastard with the first strike, but he chose not to.

‘Let him suffer, let him feel his body breaking piece by piece, let him feel his life’s grace ebb away slowly, a moment at a time,’ Legolas thought to himself, as he watched the vermin squirming at his feet.

“It is not as pleasant when your attempted blows are met in kind, eh firion?” hissed the elf as he moved off a pace, allowing Larin to struggle to his feet. Wavering unsteadily, the mortal spat out a mouthful of blood and grasped his sides, gasping heavily. He wiped a sleeve weakly over his face and glared at Legolas.

With renewed vigor, Larin flung himself, with all his remaining strength, at the elf, aiming at his waist. Legolas turned deftly to the side, grasping the man’s right arm at the wrist and elbow as he vaulted past. Twisting the elbow over itself, while holding the man’s wrist, Legolas used the mortal’s own weight and forward momentum to tear the arm out of the shoulder socket and break it at the elbow, following Larin to the ground. The action took mere seconds. Larin’s screams pierced the air, following the satisfying sound of bone and sinew snapping. Again, Legolas rose and backed off a few paces; gleaning hollow satisfaction from the Easterling’s suffering.

Disturbed with coldness Legolas was displaying at this man’s pain and concerned where it would lead, Mehtar risked his friend’s wrath saying, “Legolas, do not take this too far. End this now.”

When Mehtar stepped towards Legolas, Tauro stopped him as Legolas ignored his friend’s voice.

“Mehtar, you cannot reason with him now. Legolas will do the right thing as he always has,” Tauro said shaking his head, his eyes never leaving the scene before him.

“It has gone beyond where it should have already, “ Mehtar replied. “He should just kill him and end it now.”

The men within hearing distance of the two elves looked at them strangely, not understanding elven ways. They thought it was odd that they would not want more blood from the men who had so viciously beaten and violated their princess.

A wheezing rasp emanated from the man writhing in the dirt. He used his legs and his good arm to roll himself slowly onto his back. His face was nearly unrecognizable; his right arm lay motionless and oddly twisted at his side. His shirt was torn, revealing a ghastly, bloodied wound in his side. Blood streamed from his ears, nose and mouth, and he gurgled as he breathed. Even in this dire condition, Larin managed to sneer, flashing an almost toothless grin at the elf.

“I still live elf,” Larin choked as he chuckled evilly. “It would seem that you are incapable of doing much right.” He struggled to a sitting position, as Legolas hovered over him, fists clenched at his sides, as he gazed down placidly at the man.

“It would seem that you cannot slay even one man, or keep a wife contented. It is no wonder she screamed my name throughout the night then begged for more from your friend.”

At hearing this last statement, something suddenly snapped in Legolas’s mind. Larin had finally stoked the elf’s anger to the point of no return. A white-hot blaze of fury instantly began to manifest itself within the Elda's heart, mind and soul. As Larin moved to rise, Legolas moved in, and with a blur of movement, reached down, grasping one of Larin’s ankles with one hand, and jerked the man off his feet. As Larin fell, Legolas twisted the mortal’s ankle, dislocating the knee and hip. Larin twisted violently in mid-air, hitting the ground, first with his face then with the rest of his body. He did not even have the chance to scream.

Legolas let his self-control depart him. He began to beat the man mercilessly, systematically abusing the Easterling the way that he had beaten Vanelossë: with little emotion registering upon his fair features. His eyes however, blazed with unbridled bloodlust and fury. He began pummeling the man - pouring all of his pent up rage, his hate, into the beating. Few of those present had ever before witnessed the rage of one of the Eldar. Legolas’ friends had rarely even seen him angry and this unbridled rage that he displayed made them fear for their friend.

From the depths of grief to the greatest heights of happiness, the Eldar were susceptible to such emotions. So too could they succumb to the vilest of rage and fury. It was here that Legolas now perched. He was past the stage of rational thought, far beyond the edge of extreme control of emotions that were characteristic of his kind. As he beat the Easterling, he though of Vanelossë's injuries, every time he hit him.

Legolas was, at that moment, utterly devoid of all save hate and a desire to avenge his wife’s pain. The same energy of darkness that he had fought so long and so hard to overcome, as one of the nine, surrounded him like a death shroud in this moment, as he broke the body and spirit of the bastard in his hands.

Feeling Legolas was losing control and headed for trouble, Gimli started to walk towards the two men, only to be stopped by Aragorn's hand on his shoulder. The king shook his head and Gimli realized the man was right to not want the dwarf to interfere in Legolas' fight.

Legolas struck the mortal repeatedly until Larin stopped struggling. In the back of his mind however, was the thought that he was betraying his promise. Unable to continue to beat Larin when he had stopped fighting back, Legolas got up slowly watching him carefully for any signs he might move to strike again. There were none. Larin was unable to do anything past breathing heavy.

As he stood there, looking at the man, Legolas wiped absentmindedly at the blood on his face: Larin’s blood. He had beaten the man so badly that the mortal’s blood was spattered over his face and clothing. The sound of his heart was pounding in his head powerfully as he tried to regain his self-control. He was torn between wanting to go on beating this man until he finally felt some relief, betraying his wife as a result, or ending this now, as he was still overwhelmed with his rage.

Inexplicably, a flash of Séro came into his mind, stealing the breath from his lungs. What would he say if his son were to see what he was doing? Would Séro fear him, seeing him beat this man who was now helpless? Would Vanelossë, with her overwhelming kindness, let him continue? Alasse and Illisse would cry if they could see him now, covered in this man's blood and raging to the point of insanity. Looking towards the sky, Legolas prayed to the Valar to give him strength to do what must be done.

Feeling an overwhelming sense of calm, Legolas knew Vanelossë was right. If he went any further down this path, he would not be able to return to his family. These men would have destroyed everything that mattered to him. They would have taken his honor. He would have nothing but rage left in his heart, and would become just as these evil men were. Looking down at Larin, he saw what he had done. Larin's body was broken; the wounds Legolas had carved into his arms were bleeding profusely, as were his nose, ears and mouth. Yet, Legolas felt no better. Vanelossë's pain and injuries were still with her. There was no comfort in his actions.

Seeing movement out of the corner of his eye, Legolas looked to his friends. He had fought beside them. They had been there to help him save Vanelossë. Aragorn and Gimli both looked as if they would come do what it was Legolas must do. He knew that any man or elf there would kill Larin if he asked. They would avenge his wife for him if he could not.

Perhaps they thought him weak not to do more, not to brutalize the Easterlings for days or weeks on end with nightly torture much like what was done in Barad-dur. Orophin stood waiting to see what Legolas would do and the prince was struck with the thought that Orophin might come out of this situation more damaged than Vanelossë, for they had each other and their children.

Looking back at Larin, Legolas realized it was over. He could not do this anymore, and then hold his new baby tenderly when he returned home, or make love to his wife, without this man's vile acts always in the back of his mind. Vanelossë was right.

Legolas leaned down and dragged the Easterling up by his tattered shirt, holding him off of the ground in both hands. "You violated my wife. You beat and whipped her. You took her away from her children, whom you have threatened to kill. You had your men perform equally vile acts on defenseless women. You forced my friend to violate my wife, which has caused him guilt and shame. You have beaten men that were bound, rather than allow them to defend themselves. You have taunted me, questioning my manhood. Yet you are before me bloodied and beaten. I could continue to torture you but I promised my wife that I would not sink to your level of animalistic brutality. Even as she lies recovering from your vicious behavior, she cared more for my fëa than revenge upon you. I will not continue to beat you in honor of her wishes."

Larin half choked and half laughed painfully as he rasped, "As I thought, elf, you are not man enough to finish this."

Grasping him more tightly by this shirt, Legolas said coldly, "I did not say I was not going to finish this. I said I was not going to beat you any longer."

Taking Larin around the neck and under the arm, Legolas squeezed him in a headlock, using Larin's shoulder as the axis to sever his spinal cord and break his neck. The Easterling had no chance to struggle. Legolas let the mortal’s body go limp and it fell to the ground in a heap. Those who had assembled were surprised at how calmly Legolas had finished it. They were all in stunned silence trying to fathom Legolas’ thoughts in the moments just before he ended Larin’s life, when they watched him transition from blood lusting rage to flat calm.

“Finally, it is over,” Elladan said quietly looking at his brother.

“I do not think I could have stood idly by watching anymore,” Elrohir said looking down, somewhat sad. “While the man deserved everything he received, I hoped Legolas would stop it when he did. His hatred and bloodlust were taking over him and he could not have come back from that. I know. I too, have come close to that point myself.”

“Legolas would not have tortured him further once his rage was spent. After what was done to his wife, I do not blame him for what he has done,” Gimli replied harshly, defending his friend’s honor.

“Yes, but once blackness takes your heart, you can no longer be who you were. His children and his wife would have lost him forever,” Elladan argued. “I am not saying this man did not deserve every injury that he received but Legolas could not sink to the same level as the Easterlings.”

“Trust me, Master Dwarf, we do not judge Legolas harshly, for we have seen his and Vanelossë’s pain,” Elrohir said as he put his hand on Gimli’s shoulder. “We just do not wish for his children to not know their father when he returns full of nothing but rage.”

Aragorn, still watching Legolas, nodded and said, “He did not torture the man. The Easterling leader had a chance to fight fair but he could not, so Legolas ended it. Some would have continued to torture the man nightly but he ended it this night as he promised his wife.”

“Perhaps we should do …something for him.” Éomer had walked up behind Aragorn and watched Legolas concerned. “I do not know what but I feel like I should do something.”

“Let him be for a few moments. He needs to gather his thoughts,” Aragorn said, turning away not wanting Legolas to feel so closely watched.

Aragorn and Éomer spoke quietly to their men, trying to focus the men’s attention on other tasks around the camp rather than the scene before them.

Rumil looked at Orophin and asked softly, “Are you all right, brother?”

“Yes. I no longer have to see his smirk reminding me of my humiliation,” Looking over at Rumil, he smiled slightly. “I respect Legolas more for the way he handled this. I am in awe of the love that he and Vanelossë share. I hope someday to have such a love that for a simple promise, I would be able to stop myself from doing something that would turn me to darkness forever.”

“Legolas was at the edge,” Rumil said watching Legolas with the dead man at his feet.

“Men would have done far worse. Some elves would have done worse as well. Legolas was pushed to the edge. But he did not fall,” Orophin looked at his brother intently. Rumil simply nodded. Both brothers were weary of the horror of it all and glad for it to end.

Legolas turned to look at the rest of the Easterlings who were now looking at him with a sense of fear on their faces. Legolas studied them to try to understand how they could have done things so vile or to follow a leader that encouraged it. He and Gimli had followed Aragorn. He understood loyalty. But their loyalty was out of friendship and the need to do what was right, what was honorable. These men knew nothing of honor. Disgusted and sickened at the very sight of them, he turned away.

As he walked by his friends, he said calmly “Someone take them into the woods and kill them. Do not do it so the women can see and do not torture them. Do it quickly and be done with it. I cannot look at them another minute and these women should not have to endure it either.”

Éomer and Mehtar began to walk towards the Easterlings followed closely by some of the other men and elves. No one argued that a woodland elf had just commanded the King of Rohan to do something for Éomer knew that Legolas had told his friend to do this. They had shared enough to not live by the formalities of titles. And Éomer would do this for Legolas as he knew Legolas would do this for him.

Elladan and Elrohir stood with Orophin and Rumil watching the others take the Easterlings from the camp.

Elladan looked at Orophin and said, “Do you not wish to avenge your wrongs as well?”

Orophin was quiet for a moment. Smiling slightly, he answered, “No. Vanelossë was right. These men will take nothing further from me and I would take no pleasure in their death. The fact that they are dead does not pain me but I feel no need to take part in killing them. Haldir once told me to know when to walk away and when to let go or I would never know when to move on.”

“Wise words,” Elrohir said. Smirking slightly, he replied, “I wish my brother gave me words of wisdom. It would be a welcome change.”

Aragorn and Gimli followed Legolas as he walked away. Aragorn was concerned for he did not know what Legolas was feeling right now.

“Legolas, do you feel some sense of peace with the way you have dealt with this man?” Aragorn asked softly.

“I wanted to rip him limb from limb, make him pay for everything he had done. I wanted to torture him every day until he finally died,” Legolas said, turning to his two close friends. “It was Vanelossë who told me not to. She is lying there too injured even to stand up and she was worried about how this was going to affect my fëa. As I was fighting him, I realized she was right. Nothing I did to him would undo what he did to her. I did not want him to win this by destroying me and I did not want to be like him. So I ended it as she had asked me to do. And I am at peace with it now. I do not regret killing him but I do not regret it being over so soon or him not being there to torture tomorrow. In the end, nothing mattered but being able to reclaim the peaceful life that is rightly ours. I am not going to let him take that from us.”

Amazed, Aragorn shook his head and said, “I fear you might be a better man than I am. I do not know that I could have resisted the urge to make him suffer some more.”

“Let us hope you never have to find out,” Legolas smiled slightly.

Legolas felt more at peace than he thought he would. He originally thought he would feel cheated for not being able to torture him like the animal that he was but he did not. He felt relieved that it was over and they could start to heal and put this past them. He ached to go back to their peaceful life. He had seen enough death in the last few months to last an eternity. He wanted to once again celebrate life surrounded by those he loved. The rescue of Middle Earth would not have been worth it if they lost all they fought for.

Walking over to where there was water, he cleaned his face and hands to wash away any of Larin’s blood. Taking off his jerkin, he left just his shirt on so Vanelossë would not see the blood or dirt on his clothes either. He did not intend for Vanelossë to see any remnant of that man. Looking back, he was glad that one of the others had removed Larin’s body as well as dispatched the other Easterlings.

Standing up, he turned back to go see Vanelossë, then heard three riders coming up. He looked up to see Artulco, Veryandil, and Máratyaro of Mirkwood and he smiled. When they dismounted, they embraced Legolas.

“The king sent us here as urgently as possible to let you know that they have found and rid Arda of the other group of Easterlings that had attacked Imladris. He wanted us to help escort you, your wife, and the elf of Mirkwood home,” Artulco said, with a smile. “He also wanted me to tell you that you needed to come home quickly for Séro has begun to torture his sisters mercilessly and the baby misses his mother.”

Laughing, Veryandil said, “Séro has begun to torture us all in your absence, included the king, which is why we volunteered for this mission and he sent us so quickly.”

Smiling broadly, Legolas embraced Artulco and Veryandil again and said, “That is good news. Thank you for setting my mind at ease. I was worried about my children. I must go to Vanelossë now. You should rest then you may see her when she wakes.”

Máratyaro reached over and grabbed a bag off of his horse. “These are courtesy of the king. He knew that Vanelossë and the other women will not have had a fresh change of clothes in weeks so he sent some for them.”

“That will make them relieved. Have Calime help you give them to the women. I am sure they will all be pleased to see you all. Then get some rest and some food. Our friends have taken good care of us.” Legolas left them with Aragorn and Gimli. Amazingly enough, Gimli had become very close with the elves in the last few days. Legolas smiled thinking of the prior resentment between the two of them.

Legolas walked over to Vanelossë and asked Calime to find Máratyaro. When she left, he lay down beside Vanelossë and kissed her softly until she woke up. When she did, he smiled.

“I had to wake you to let you know that I just found out that your son is behaving horribly and that his sisters and our baby miss you.”

When her eyes filled with happy tears, he kissed her again for a long time. Letting her enjoy the moment, he waited to tell her the other news. Finally she looked at him and asked what had happened.

“It is done. He is dead as well as the rest of them. They were not tortured but they were all killed quickly as you asked.”

“And was he killed quickly as well?” she asked.

“We fought but I soon realized you were right and I killed him. But it is over now so you never have to worry about him again. Artulco, Veryandil, and Máratyaro have come and brought news of our children as well as news that the other Easterlings that had attacked Imladris have been found and killed. With the destruction of Mordor, they should not be able to organize much but we will keep a close eye on our borders.” He said with a smile.

“Then it is over finally,” she whispered.

Legolas stroked her cheek and said, “It will be over when we can go home to our children.”

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A/N: Although it seems like closure, as Legolas says, it will not be over until they are home with their children so please look for the next couple of chapters. I hope that everyone feels that Legolas had the appropriate revenge.